Monarchy Without Kings
For anyone interested in the founding of the American Republic this work is indispensable reading
Politics, Ideas and the Arts
A Very Modern Preservationist
In the last year there has been a great Nairn revival - I would have loved to buy him a pint and hear him speak unpretentiously about his love of architecture
The Real Life of Nabokov
The book is beautifully done, but it is long and feels uneven
Better than a Grand Slam
Clive James: whether the culture is low or high, he is in it for the thrills
Last post of a post-war poet
Although at times the tone can seem ill-judged, Jon Stallworthy's poems are full of sincere thought about war
Eccentrics Hiding in the Crowds
When the big shows are overrun by the holiday hordes, seize the moment to savour minority tastes
The Ultimate Space Explorer
Alexander Grothendieck was a genius who reshaped mathematics but then withdrew from society
Anand in Blunderland
Blunders happen even at the world championship level
No More Room for an Inn?
Mourning the passing of the pub
Take a Bow
The hostility in Sino-Japanese relations
Islam and Innocence: Canada’s Predicament
Despite the attack on the Ottawa parliament, Canada has still not woken up to the global scale of the Islamist threat
Boris is Ready for his Finest Hour. Is his Party?
The Mayor of London may see himself as the coming man of destiny, but there are plenty of rivals to thwart his path to 10 Downing Street